Constitutional right or crime? Case of alleged harassment of sex offender’s family heads to court
A father and son from Freemansburg accused of harassing the family of a sex offender are headed to Northampton County Court on their respective criminal charges.
James Forte Sr. and James Forte Jr., who both live in 200 block of Juniata Street in the borough, had their preliminary hearings Tuesday in front of District Judge Nicholas Englesson.
Following testimony from the victim and a borough police officer, Englesson sent all the charges to county court, where the pair now face possible trial.
Father and son accused of harassing family of sex offender
The father allegedly printed out copies of a news article about the man, and then placed them on vehicles in the neighborhood, police said.
Defense attorney Anthony Rybak, who represented Forte Sr., said his client had been willing to plead guilty to a summary count of harassment, in exchange for the stalking charge to be dropped. After the hearing, Rybak said the father’s case will be going to trial.
Forte Jr.’s attorney, Robert Eyer, declined to comment.
Borough police said Forte Sr. printed news articles about George Hess and placed them on vehicles and in mailboxes around the neighborhood. Hess, a former Freemansburg fire chief, pleaded guilty in 1999 to indecent assault, and was sentenced to county prison.
Freemansburg Officer Martin Ramirez testified Forte was in the borough police station to deal with a citation over dog poop, when he “boasted” he had researched leaving the articles. When an officer told Forte Sr. it would create more problems, Forte Sr. yelled there was nothing the police could do and he was going to keep doing it, Ramirez said.
In a separate incident, Forte Sr. is accused of yelling at Hess’ daughter that her father was a “kiddie toucher.”
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My temper can rise from 0 to 150 in no time,especially when it comes to unjust situations. Just reading this article upsets me. These kind of incidents or worse get little to no national recognition. Only when it gets out of hand or something major happens,unfortunately,the powers that be will entertain it. SO be wary,Reformed Offenders get weary and will Defend there God Given Right to exist at all cost for change.
Twenty years after his crime, this man and his family still suffer the effects of unequal treatment under the law. Unfortunately, a majority of the idiots commenting support these two toads. I believe either everyone should be on a registry or no one should be.
Unfortunately I have had to offer free dental work to more than one idiot in the 20 years iv been in my neighborhood for saying off color stuff to my kids. Almost being forced into a violent situation just trying to protect my children becuase the local sheriff department said nothing there’s they could do. And I’m supposed to be the threat??
Personallt any person who bother/harrasses a member should be placed on the SOR for 2 yrs and things would change quickly thoughts on how unfair this registery is and they will cry not me this regerstery is unconstutional
Hope these clowns get screwed to the wall as hard as possible, but not optimistic. Betting this will end up as a shining example how the little “harassment of these individuals” disclaimer posted on registries is nothing more than empty words.
But first and foremost we must remember that the courts have ruled that registration is NOT punishment. Keep telling everyone that lie…clearly it protects no one and allows mentally unbalanced people (or just hateful losers as in this case) the ability to make a registered citizen’s life a living hell (as if law enforcement didn’t already have that covered).
This must stop. ALL data and studies show that sex offender registries are NOT useful to anyone EXCEPT as a map for nut jobs such as these directly to your front door!
Who is the real threat here? Not someone who has already paid their debt to society and should be allowed the second chance that ALL Americans have a RIGHT to.